South Brum Primary Panic

[zzhallk5]

Hi all. We're relocating to Birmingham early 2020 and would like to live in Moseley ideally. My kids will be in year 2 and 5. I knew schools would be tricky but have started receiving emails back saying they're all full with very long waiting lists. My husband moves down in August ie a few months before we can, and my question is what is the best approach to getting places; should he just aim to rent as close as humanly possible to whichever school we decide to go for? And what actually happens if they can't offer you a place....or do you get something but potentially miles away? Our grandparents seem to think academies operate different admissions systems so we should target Moor Green as more likely to get in...is this right does anyone know?..this is a somewhat reluctant move from the NE and this schools thing is proving a little stressful to say the least :-/. Last resort we'd consider private but would much rather get them settled into nice local school.

TIA

Kate

You can live as close as you like, but the reality is that if they’re full you could live in the playground and they still won’t admit your children; they're not kicking someone out so you can get your kids in.

If they’re full, you’ll be allocated the closest available school with places and you can go on the waiting list for the others.

Thanks... not sounding v hopeful...Does anyone have any knowledge of the reality in S Birmingham recently e.g. are people being offered schools miles and miles from where they live? And presumably more than likely our 2 kids might end up at different schools... :-/

Best advice is ring all the schools around (even the ones you wouldn’t usually consider). Even if they only have a place from one of your DCs, I would accept the place and get the other on the waiting list. You will just have to keep ringing round for the other I’m afraid.

Your youngest DC is in year 2, you will be able to apply for a junior school place for next year along with everyone else so there may be an chance of moving from an unpopular school to the one you want at this point.

Birmingham has very limited school places at the minute. If you were to widen your search and look to other parts of the city there are schools which have spaces but we’re talking a couple of miles or so from Moseley in Northfield/Woeley castle/ shenley fields direction.

Another thing to consider is do you have your heart set in Moseley? Is it possible to live near the school you get given? If so I would find a school somewhere in the city and move there. If not, get the house you want and just get ringing around. Something will come up eventually. At the end of the day, I know it’s not what you want to hear, but within the next couple of years you will be in the mix with everyone else for both your DCs for either secondary or juniors then you have more of a chance of getting what you want.

My apologies, I just realised the dates on the OP.

Hopefully you managed to get sorted out and your DCs got schools